


Secret Santa and Pining Boys

by AgentStannerShipper



Series: tumblr ficlets [31]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Getting Together, M/M, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 00:23:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17457104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentStannerShipper/pseuds/AgentStannerShipper
Summary: James finally gets a clue.





	Secret Santa and Pining Boys

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt was basically the title.

“Kingsman does a secret Santa?” James asks in surprise.

Harry nods, making those stupid reindeer antlers he’s insisted on wearing around the mansion since the first of December bob up and down on his head. “Arthur thinks it…boosts morale or something like that. Of course, everyone always wants to get Merlin.”

“If it’s a secret, how do you know if you get Merlin?”

“Because, generally speaking, Merlin’s presents involve a shiny new piece of never-before-seen tech made especially for you.” Harry grins, “I’ve gotten Merlin the past three years. I’m starting to think he rigs the selection system.”

“I do no such thing,” Merlin says, coming up behind Harry and flicking his antlers. Harry clutches at them so they don’t fall off and shoots his partner a wounded look. Merlin ignores him, “You’re in for a treat, James. Secret Santa at Kingsman is less about the holiday spirit and more about honing your skills in espionage.”

“How so?”

Merlin lifts an eyebrow, “Isn’t it in your job description to uncover secrets? The whole point of a secret Santa is to try and figure out who your secret Santa is.”

Now James gets it. And he can’t wait.

***

It turns out, the Kingsman are very good at secret Santas, with an emphasis on the ‘secret’ part. Even after he’s pulled a name from the hat and gotten the corresponding present (Lamorak – he had absolutely no idea what the old man would like, but a bit of a snoop around his office tells him that the bottle of vodka he’s selected is probably a safe bet), James can’t figure out who has him. No one is giving any signs of paying more attention to him than usual. His office hasn’t been disturbed by anyone having a look-around. No one has come up to him and struck up a conversation out of the blue.

“I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me who you have,” he nudges Alistair as he comes up behind him. The other agent startles, opens his mouth, and then closes it again and shakes his head. James throws and arm around his shoulder. “Oh, come on Percy. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

In typical Alistair fashion, he blinks a lot and tries to answer a few times before he gives up and shrugs.

***

“I shan’t tell you,” Harry lifts his chin and crosses his arms. “That would spoil the game.”

James sighs, “If you and Merlin and Percival won’t tell me who you have, do you at least have a clue who has me?”

“Given up already?”

“I haven’t given up,” James says. “I’ve just…hit a dead end.”

“I do know who has you, as it happens.”

“You do?”

“Oh yes. Very obvious. I’m shocked you haven’t figured it out.”

James resists the urge to punch his smiling friend. “Care to let me in on it?”

Harry shakes his head, “If you can’t see what’s right in front of your nose, then I won’t explain it for you.”

***

 Harry rips open the paper on his gift and holds it up, “It’s a pen.” He examines it in the light, then checks the box and comes up with a note. “Oh!” he says, delighted. “Merlin, you shouldn’t have!”

Merlin shrugs, “I was playing around with the design anyway, and then you mentioned that working with poison capsules is too messy, so I thought I might go ahead and come up with an alternative.” He opens his own present, more methodically, and runs his hand over the bright blue jumper. “If this is your way of saying I need to diversify my wardrobe, Gawain, I don’t want to hear it again.”

Slowly, the knights work their way through, guessing who had come up with their gifts. Most were generic, alcohol a prominent theme. It was nice to know that at least James wasn’t the only one coming up blank on their secret Santa.

Eventually, it’s his turn. The package is square and solid, so when he tears it open to reveal a book, he isn’t surprised.

But the choice of book does surprise him. It’s leather-bound and gorgeous. “The Complete Plays of Oscar Wilde,” he reads aloud. It’s something he’s wanted for a long time: editions this nice don’t just grow on trees, so to speak. And he’s mentioned that to exactly one person. “Thank you, Percival.”

Alistair does that little speechless thing of his, and ducks his head. Slowly, he unwraps his own present and they move on. But James’s mind lingers, carefully slotting together the puzzle pieces he hadn’t noticed before.

***

James catches up with him just as Alistair flags down the Kingsman cab to take him home. He slides into the backseat next to Alistair without giving him a chance to protest. “I can’t believe you remembered that I wanted this book,” he says.

Alistair swallows hard and looks out the window.

“As adorable as the awkward silences are, do you think you could say something?”

Alistair blinks. “Adorable?” His cheeks flush, and the last piece of the puzzle clicks into place.

“Don’t play coy with me,” he says. “Merlin and Harry both say you talk to them. But whenever I try, you clam up. Why is that?”

“You…make me nervous.”

“Why?”

Alistair glances towards the driver, but the partition is up and soundproofed. James waits. “Because I like you,” Alistair says eventually. “I’d like to be friends.”

“Mmm, no, I’m not sure that’s it,” James says. “So how about I try this time? Alistair, would you like to take me out sometime?”

Alistair’s mouth falls open. “Um…”

“A yes or no would suffice.”

“Yes?”

“Excellent!” James leans over and gives him a peck on the cheek as the cab comes to a stop. “This is me. I’ll see you at work?”

“See…see you at work.”

James saunters out of the car, book tucked under his arm. Harry was right. It had been right under James’s nose, and he hadn’t seen it. He thinks he might be a very big fan of secret Santas.


End file.
